Neighborhood: Forest Hills, Queens
Occupation: Kitchen Magic Inc. Representative
First Time Voter: No, “100th time voter”
Political Affiliation: Democrat
“I would love to see it out of the hole that it’s in.”
[audio:http://cdn.journalism.cuny.edu/blogs.dir/9/files/2008/10/len-obsatz-election.mp3]
Age: 49
Neighborhood: Sheepshead Bay
Occupation: School kitchen worker
First Time Voter: No
Political Affiliation: Democrat
“I hope that when I get to be a retiring age, because I’m only a part-time worker, that I’ll be able to live.”
[audio:http://cdn.journalism.cuny.edu/blogs.dir/9/files/2008/10/teresa-rizzo_1-2.mp3]
Age: 34
Neighborhood: Gravesend
Occupation: Elementary school teacher
First Time Voter: No
Political Affiliation: Democrat
“It’s a lot to ask, but I think healthcare should be less business-oriented and, you know, more affordable for people.”
[audio:http://cdn.journalism.cuny.edu/blogs.dir/9/files/2008/10/lena-zaritsky_1-21.mp3]
Age: 23
Neighborhood: Gravesend
Occupation: Assistant producer
First Time Voter: No
Political Affiliation: Democrat
“To make the country better, you gotta do better. You gotta work hard at what you do, whatever it is.”
[audio:http://cdn.journalism.cuny.edu/blogs.dir/9/files/2008/10/john-bay_1-2.mp3]
Age: 28
Neighborhood: Sheepshead Bay
Occupation: Engineer
First Time Voter: No
Political Affiliation: Democrat
“We need to begin to have a national project to wean ourselves away from fossil fuels, both for national security purposes and also to improve the environment.”
[audio:http://cdn.journalism.cuny.edu/blogs.dir/9/files/2008/10/bipin-mathew_1-2.mp3]
Age: 34
Neighborhood: Harlem
Occupation: Makeup artist
First Time Voter: No
Political Affiliation: Democrat
“I would like healthcare a lot more accessible to all income ranges.”
Age: 26
Neighborhood: Midwood, Brooklyn
Occupation: Self-Employed
First Time Voter: No
Political Affiliation: Independent
“I actually think the economy has flourished in the last four years a lot more than it has over the last 20 years, and I think one of the reasons for that is because the markets were deregulated and people were allowed to go out and make as much as they’d like to without having to worry about being taxed up the wazoo.”
[audio:http://cdn.journalism.cuny.edu/blogs.dir/9/files/2008/11/electshenkman1.mp3]
Age: 63
Neighborhood: Flatbush
Occupation: Salesman
First Time Voter: No
Political Affiliation: Republican
“The economy has to have more free enterprise, which Obama is against. He’s for more socialism.”
[audio:http://cdn.journalism.cuny.edu/blogs.dir/9/files/2008/11/electrokeach3.mp3]